Various versions of what is commonly known as a steel-jawed leghold trap have been used. Traps of this type all have one common characteristic, that is, the foot or leg of the animal is caught and gripped between two rigid, parallel steel bars that are held clamped by very powerful springs. When the trap is sprung, the steel jaws strike with great force, causing considerable trauma to the foot or leg which has been caught. The jaws close with such great force that it is not unusual for them to break the animal's foot or leg bones. As the animal fights to free itself, these jaws tend to cut in even deeper, often penetrating to the bone. The foot may become swollen and bloody and sometimes the trap jaws cut off substantially all blood flow, so that in extremely cold weather, the foot may freeze.
The so-called Victor Softcatch is a trap designed to eliminate some of this suffering. It is a conventional, coil-spring loaded, steel jawed trap that has rubber padding added to the jaws. The trap reduces some of the initial trauma and subsequent injury or damage, but an animal held for 12 to 24 hours often will display much of the same swelling and other damage caused by traps without padding.
I have recently invented a humane trap which will eliminate most of the trauma and damage or injury caused by conventional traps now in use. That trap is designed to grip the leg of an animal and is described in my U.S. Pat. No. 5,109,627.
I have more recently invented another trap which likewise is designed to eliminate trauma and damage or injury to the animal, and this trap, which catches the animal by the neck rather than the leg, is the subject of the present invention. In accordance with this invention, a trap is designed to place a cable of steel or other flexible material around an animal's neck to hold it in relatively unharmed condition. The trap is humane and is intended primarily for catching canines. This is because the triggering mechanism employed is rarely triggered by any other animal. Domestic dogs can accidentally be caught by the trap of my invention, but they can easily be released unharmed so that the trap is useful even in and around areas inhabited by humans and their pets.
The trap of this invention is especially useful where live capture and preservation is a goal such as in the capture of coyotes and foxes needed for study and experimentation.
The device of this invention is spring-loaded and triggered by a baited lure that the animal is attracted to and attempts to pick up and carry away. When the trap is triggered, a noose is forcibly thrown over the animal's head by two arms of a swing frame. The noose becomes disengaged from the trap as the noose tightens around the animal's neck when the animal jumps up and away. The noose is preferably staked down at one end independently of the trap. The trap may also be staked down.
One object of this invention is to provide an animal trap having the foregoing features and capabilities.
Another object is to provide an animal trap which is rugged and durable in use, is of relatively simple construction and capable of being inexpensively manufactured and operated.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent as the following description proceeds, especially when considered with the accompanying drawings.